Feb 23, 2013

"This week look deeper
through the lens to the story your photo captures and then process it to one
color!

Or be daring and shoot in B&W (monochrome)."

I thought this would be a rather easy challenge but I was wrong.

I played around with my camera settings and some photo editing software programs and tried out new things.

I really like other people's black and white photos and even many photos I see with Sepia and other tones, but not so much my own photos.

Sepia's not too bad I guess,....

I just really don't have the eye for it.Not the way I want to, anyway.

That said, it really made me start viewing things in an entirely new way and noticing different colors.

The mountains of AZ. I truly love how the mountains
are every shade of blue!

I liked that!

So I challenged myself to capture Monochromatic (sort of!) pics in the world around me, with out processing to one color or doing major edits. And it couldn't be shot in black and white (my own silly rules!).

Pretty much everything is this drab, dead color since we've had such a weird winter.

This was tough - the world is so multi-colored!Thanks for bringing me out of my comfort zone this week Sally!

I was able to finally get some jewelry pics edited that I've been sitting on for a while (some older than others!) and have been learning more of my Elements 10 (Editing with Elements Class from Brandi - it's awesome!) and also using some online editing sites such as Pixlr and PicMonkey. I'm getting quicker,....or less picky,....not sure which is the case actually.

I've noticed that at different times of the year my design style seems to go all 'Southwest' with a major Bohemian flair. With maybe just a dash of 'Gypsy' style (or whatever you want to call it) thrown in for good measure. I'm wondering why?

What influences us with our trends and tastes?

I wonder if, at times, it's something subconscious (??)

How about you? Do you find that your work, your art, your wardrobe, or the styles of things you like seem to go back and forth through out the year(s); possibly with the seasons, the different moods of the year(s), with different events around the world, or with age (gasp!) and things like that?

There's all sorts of Art Deco stuff that's been going on for a while now (it was everywhere during NY Fashion week) and there's some things about it I like and some that I really cannot stand.

The Miami Design Preservation League - via Pinterest

Personally I'm drawn a bit more to rugged textures with neutral and/or deep colors than I am to geometric designs in mint green and lilac with silvery-mirrored accents!

However, with the freeze a couple of weeks back and the one this week as well, our rose garden is 'rose-less', and there's no other flowers blooming at the moment either, so I'm sharing with you some of the flowers I've captured in the past.

Click to Enlarge Photos

These are from my backyard, from the White Mountains of AZ, from San Onofre Beach on Camp Pendleton in California and from my trip to Italy last fall.

Sommocolonia, Italy (Tuscany)

Yes, I have a slight flower obsession.

It's as bad as my obsession with snapping pics of doors, locks/keys and door knockers.

Can you tell?! ;-)

"Just living is not enough.

One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. "

~ Hans Christian Andersen ~

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Flower Power, Baby!!

Cheers,~Shel~ClickHERE to go to the Studio Sublimeand check out all the other lovely flowers today!!

Feb 13, 2013

Well, it was a fun few days that I spent down in Tucson at the Gem, Mineral and Bead Shows last week.

Janet - Not sure where,...possibly the Doubletree Hotel - TBTB Show

I have some pics my sister took of all of us at the gem show. Most of mine came out kinda blurry for some reason.

Marsha, Ginny and Janet at the Gem Mall

Marsha - again, not sure where - possibly the TBTB Show
at the Doubletree Hotel

Marsha, Janet and I stayed with Ginny and Dan during the week (thanks Dan for the wonderful scrambled eggs and bacon on Thursday morning - they were yummy!!)

Ginny at the Sketchers Store - she's already laid down
a few boxes,....she had so many you couldn't even see her!!

We won't mention the trip to the Sketcher's Store

or Ginny's obsession with Pink Shoes!

Janet picks out some goodies at the To Bead True Blue
Show at the Doubletree Hotel

While Marsha and Janet headed up to Sedona after a couple of days of "Gem Shopping", I headed over to Nina and Steve's on the North West side of town for a few days until my boys arrived for the weekend.

Pearl Geek Behind the Blog,...

Hello, I'm Michelle (Shel). I hold a Graduate Pearls Diploma from GIA and Pearls are my favorite gems! Please join me here as I share my little corner of the jewelry world with you and possibly some macro shots, door porn and other fun things!
~ "Peace, Love and Pearls, Baby" ~